Just in time for the holidays: ISU professor's study on religious board
games and toys

AMES, Iowa -- Apparently, some parents aren't just looking for the latest
video game system or doll for their kids this holiday season. An Iowa State
University professor says a growing number are seeking religious games and
toys for their children.

Popular family board games such as MONOPOLY®, Candyland® and
Trivial Pursuit® now have some interesting competition. Religious
games such as Mormon-, Bible- and "Catholic-opoly" (Christian), "KosherLand"
(Jewish) and "Race to the Kabah" (Muslim) may sound a little like their
secular counterparts, but their content is designed to expose children to
religious values.

"There are new religious board games created all the time," said Nikki
Bado-Fralick, an ISU assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies
and women's studies. "The business is doubling yearly, making it attractive
and lucrative."

So lucrative that religious-themed board games and toys are now a
multi-million dollar industry worldwide.

Instead of Barbie or Bratz, some Muslim-American girls may receive
Razanne, a doll modestly dressed for school, play or prayer, complete with
hijab (head scarf). The In & Out Razanne comes with more high-fashion
accessories that can be covered with a traditional jilbaab coat when going
to work or visiting friends.

Messengers of Faith Bible character dolls come in both Old and New
Testament styles. Moses, David, Esther, Mary and Jesus are 12 inches tall,
outfitted in hand-sewn clothing and sandals, and provide 60 to 80 seconds of
scripture "recorded in an easy-to-memorize" style.

Bado-Fralick's research of such religious toys and board games is the
first for this growing industry. "There was no scholarship previously done
on this," she said.

Bado-Fralick recently collaborated with Rebecca Sachs Norris, professor
of religious/theological studies at Merrimack College, on a scholarly paper
titled "Ritualizing Religious Reward: The Dark Side of Play." They presented
their research last month at the American Academy of Religion Annual
Conference in Washington, D.C. -- also conducting a teach-in that allowed
academics to play some of the latest religious board games.

Some of those include "Mortality," a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints board game in which players get ahead by helping their opponents; and
"Missionary Conquest," a religious alternative to Risk®. There is also
Divinity® -- the only game to have the imprimatur, the
Catholic Church's official seal of approval.

"Of course, one impulse behind such games is to enculturate children into
the religion's values -- worldview, ethics, morals, cosmology, and so forth.
But while games may be instructive and revealing, they must also be
entertaining -- they are a form of play; they are fun. This is one of the
principal motivations for offering religious games to children -- they
willingly participate in religion because they are having fun," Bado-Fralick
and Norris wrote in their paper.

However, Bado-Fralick is concerned that the line between play and
religious expression can be blurred in some games that introduce children to
more adult and controversial themes. For instance, she said, Missionary
Conquest -- billed as "One Giant Game of Laughter and Strategy" -- provides
opportunities to finance missions. In some mission locations, a player can
earn extra points by being stoned to death, thus becoming a martyr.

"Some of these games incorporate serious issues such as colonialism,
racism, and religious persecution. And yet they're advertised as fun and
healthy games," said Bado-Fralick.

"Religious games are not only an important indicator of cultural values
and practices, but they also influence the formation of religious identity
and principles," Norris said.

The researchers report that religious dolls and action figures might be
considered less problematic since they seem to emphasize positive role
models.

Both Razanne and Fulla® (a popular Muslim doll sold in the Middle
East) are designed to appeal to wholesome "Muslim values," the researchers
said. "Among the many things this means is a focus on personal qualities
other than external beauty."

But while Fulla® is marketed as alternatives to Barbie, they
actually look quite similar in appearance. In fact, Bado-Fralick and Norris
found that both Barbie and Fulla® dolls are produced in China by the
same subcontractor. The dolls are made of the same material and are the
same height, but the Muslim doll has a more modestly proportioned
bustline.

The increasing popularity of religious toys and games has prompted
Bado-Fralick and a colleague, Iowa State University religious studies
lecturer Eric Northway, to lead a one-credit seminar on the subject starting
in January. "Religious Games and Toys in the Classroom" will provide members
of an Iowa State learning community the opportunity to engage in hands-on
research to explore the dimensions of religious play. Bado-Fralick, Northway
and about 10 students will use religious board games and toys to focus
attention on the material artifacts of religions as they are lived.

"Students will play the games together with other students and help
develop assessment tools that will gauge their critical response to the
games," said Bado-Fralick. "As artifacts of material culture, religious
games and toys serve a serious pedagogical function -- they use play to
teach about the religions they portray."

Quick look

Nikki Bado-Fralick, an ISU assistant professor of philosophy and religious
studies and women's studies, recently collaborated with Rebecca Sachs Norris, professor of
religious/theological studies at Merrimack College, on a scholarly paper
titled "Ritualizing Religious Reward: The Dark Side of Play." They presented
their research last month at the American Academy of Religion Annual
Conference in Washington, D.C. -- also conducting a teach-in that allowed
academics to play some of the latest religious board games.

Quote

"Some of these games incorporate serious issues such as colonialism,
racism, and religious persecution. And yet they're advertised as fun and
healthy games."